gsport

Creating commercial sustainability while building the profile of women in sport

gsport for girls is an online platform seeking to address the gender gap in sports media. With support from SAMIP, gsport has made significant strides towards sustainability, expanding its business arm and securing millions in commercial partnerships.

gsport for girls is an online platform seeking to address the gender gap in sports media. With support from SAMIP, gsport has made significant strides towards sustainability, expanding its business arm and securing millions in commercial partnerships.

Founded in 2006 by Kass Naidoo and Ryk Meiring, gsport is South Africa’s only 24/7 provider of women’s sports coverage in South Africa.

gsport joined SAMIP in 2019 after impressing judges in our Perfect Pitch competition, which showcased the team’s potential to turn their volunteer-run organisation into a sustainable media business.

gsport secured funding and mentorship support from SAMIP to help the team focus on business development. With added capacity, the gsport team was able to negotiate a multi-year named sponsorship deal with a major financial institution in South Africa worth more than USD240,000 (ZAR3,6 million) for their annual awards event in 2019.

Since then gsport has launched the #gsportGlobal chapter and expanded its events business with an Annual List of Women’s Sport Newsmakers.

In 2020 the team successfully adapted to the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic by turning its flagship awards event into a virtual, televised event with full commercial sponsorship.